Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The invention relates to a surgical instrument having a main part and at least one part movable relative thereto and also a handle which has a stationary handle portion connected to the main part and an actuatable handle portion connected to the movable part.
Such surgical instruments are known, for example, through the Janit company. With these surgical instruments, punches are concerned which are used to remove tissue, bone or the like in surgical operations. These devices have a main part and at least one part movable relative thereto, a so-called slider, and also a handle which has a stationary handle portion connected to the main part and an actuatable handle portion connected to the movable part. The movable part is closed and opened relative to the main part by opening and closing the handle portion, and the removal of tissue, bone or the like, for example, is made possible during the closing movement.
Such surgical instruments have to be cleaned and sterilized after each surgical operation, in order to prevent the transmission of infections or the like in further operations. However, these instruments have the disadvantage that the movable part is not releasable from the main part, so that bacteria can collect in the region of guides between the movable part and the main part.
A surgical instrument is known from DE 4316768 A1, in which the movable part can be completely released and removed from the main part for cleaning and sterilization. The main part and the movable part are there provided with respective identifications, so that after the cleaning and sterilization of the instruments an allocation of the movable part to the main part is made possible. This is required, since surgical instruments are finished by grinding in the assembled state, in order to make possible a transition which is free from shoulders between the main part and the movable part. Such instruments have the disadvantage that the handle likewise has to be at least partially released from the main part and the movable part has to be at least partially removed from the main part. The coordination of the paths of movement of several components for assembly is thereby also made difficult.
The invention therefore has as its object to provide a surgical instrument which for cleaning and sterilization can be at least partially dismantled and reassembled in a simple manner.
This object is attained according to the invention by a surgical instrument with a main part, at least one movable part movable relative to the main part that is guided by a guide arranged on the movable part and a complementary guide arranged on the main part, a handle arranged on the main part having a stationary handle portion and an actuatable handle portion that actuates the movable part, a locking device having a first position in which the movable part is arranged in a working position and in an initial position, the locking device having a second position in which the movable part is removable at least partially from the main part, and a releasable articulated connection between the movable part and the actuatable handle portion.
A stepwise dismantling, and a mounting of the movable part to the main part to be carried out in the reverse sequence, are made possible by the constitution of the surgical instrument according to the invention. Simple and safe handling for cleaning and sterilization can thereby be provided. Furthermore, a surgical instrument can be provided which fulfills hygienic requirements. Moreover, by means of the configuration of the locking device, a surgical instrument can be provided which corresponds in handling to the prior art instruments, so that no adaptation by the operator is required. Furthermore, a simple manipulation is made possible for the at least partial removal of the movable part from the main part for cleaning. Such surgical instruments can be usable for all fields of medicine. The configuration according to the invention can be provided for all surgical instruments in which a main part and a movable part are provided and are such that they can be at least partially disassembled for cleaning.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the movable part and the actuatable handle are arranged at least partially pivotably and/or separably with respect to each other by means of a releasable articulated connection. Thereby, in a first phase a simple actuation of the movable part can be effected in order to remove this from the main part, according to which the movable part can be arranged by means of a guide, displaceably in the main part from an initial position into a second position, and the movable part comes free out of the guide. In a second phase, the movable part can be released from the actuatable handle due to the releasable articulated connection. A separated cleaning of the parts can thereby take place. Likewise, a simple exchange of the movable part can be made. By this constructional constitution, a simple manipulation can be provided which makes possible a rapid and simple removal of the movable part from the main part for cleaning and disinfection, and also a subsequent reassembly for surgical use.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the releasable articulated connection is constituted by a preferably U-shaped recess in the actuatable handle and a pin of the movable part, mounted in the recess, and that the open end of the recess is narrowed by a resiliently yieldable latch element. Thereby, after the release of the movable part from the guide of the main part, the movable part can first remain connected to the actuatable handle. After the movable part has been partially removed from the main part, for example by pivoting the movable part with respect to the main part, with a further pivoting movement the end of the movable part facing toward the stationary handle can engage on a section of the handle and can form an abutment, so that the pin mounted in the recess is moved past the yieldable latch element. Provided that the pivoting movement of the movable part is carried out near the end which receives the cutting element, due to the lever forces, small forces can be sufficient for the movable part to be completely releasable from the main part. Alternatively, it can also be provided that a removal of the movable part after it becomes free from the guide of the main part takes place such that a complete release of the movable part is given without the end of the movable main part facing toward the handle coming into contact with the abutment.
According to an advantageous development of the releasable articulated connection, it is provided that the latch element is constituted as a ball, which constricts the recess by means of a spring force which is preferably adjustable. The force for the release of the movable part from the actuatable handle can thereby be set.
According to a further alternative configuration of the releasable articulated connection, it is provided that the open end of the U-shaped recess is constituted by an elastically yieldable latch element, preferably an elastomer. A simple arrangement can thereby be provided in which a force, once preset or determined by the choice of material, makes possible the release of the pin of the movable part from the preferably U-shaped recess of the actuatable handle.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that when, after cleaning, the movable part is transferred into a working position, the movable part is first positioned with respect to the actuatable handle, and in a succeeding step the guide section of the movable part engages in the seating of the main part, and the guides automatically interengage by pressure on the actuatable handle. A more secure and positive assembly can thereby be attained, pressing of the actuatable handle taking place until the locking mechanism can be automatically or manually brought into the locking position, so that in connection therewith the working stroke for the movable part is released.
According to a further advantageous configuration of the invention, it is provided that the guide in the main part has a first section which runs obliquely and which moves the movable part toward the main part and changes it over into a working position. An easy bringing together and complete juxtaposition of the guide surfaces between the main part and the movable part can thereby be attained.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the locking device has a latch, which can be frictionally and/or positively disposed at least in a locking position. It can be assured that during a surgical operation a self-opening of the locking device is avoided.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the locking device has a latch, which is provided on the handle. A simple one-hand operation for the unlocking of the locking device can thereby be provided. The latch can be provided both on the stationary handle portion and also on the actuatable handle portion. This arrangement can be freely selected in dependence on the embodiment.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that a pivotable latch is provided in the stationary handle portion and engages the actuatable handle portion near a hinge pin. A compact construction can thereby be attained, being advantageously referred to the prior art geometry and size of the surgical instruments.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the pivotable latch has a stop determining its locking position. The working stroke of the movable part can thereby be limited, the stroke limitation of the movable part by the latch then mostly determining the initial position of the movable part for a working stroke.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the latch is pivotable into an unlocking position and releases a further pivoting region of the actuatable handle portion, which is preferably limited by a stop provided on the main part. The movable part can thereby be moved relative to the main part such that the mutually engaging guide sections can be separated from each other, in order to pivot the movable part around the articulated connection and to at least partially lift it from the main part. The size of the pivoting region can advantageously be determined in dependence on the length of the mutually engaging guides, so that even a very short pivoting region would be sufficient to separate from each other the interengaging guides between the main part and the movable part.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the latch engages on a section between a pivot axis of the actuatable handle and the articulated connection. A compact construction can thereby be provided, and the latch can be integrated nearly completely into the stationary handle. Furthermore, this locking device is not troublesome for the other manipulations.
According to a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the latch has a locking section which engages at a complementarily constructed pivot section of the actuatable handle. A defined arrangement of the pivot section on the locking section can thereby be given. It can advantageously be thereby attained that, by the formation of a kind of undercut or of an abutment surface and an adjoining detent cam, on returning the actuatable handle portion to its initial position after each working stroke, the latch is pressed into a locking position. Should the latch have been released even only slightly from its locking position, it is automatically brought back again into this after each working stroke. A secure manipulation can thereby be ensured. The arrangement of the latch on the stationary handle has the further advantage that a transition region which nearly completely shuts off the locking mechanism is provided between the stationary handle and the main part, so that this locking device can at the same time be protected against mechanical damage from the exterior.